2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Psaila
A Maltese surname derived from the Greek word "psali," meaning scissors or shears.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Psaila. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Psaila surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Psaila with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Psaila in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Psaila, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Psaila
The surname PSAILA is of Maltese origin, derived from the Maltese word "psaila" meaning "fisherman." It is believed to have originated in the coastal towns and villages of Malta, where fishing was a prominent occupation.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname PSAILA can be traced back to the 16th century in various historical records and documents from the Maltese islands. Some of the earliest mentions of the name are found in parish records and census data from that time period.
One notable individual with the surname PSAILA was Giovanni Psaila, a renowned Maltese artist who lived between 1646 and 1720. He is renowned for his religious paintings and frescoes adorning various churches and historical buildings in Malta.
Another notable figure was Nicolo Psaila, a Maltese merchant and ship owner who lived in the late 18th century. He was instrumental in establishing trade routes between Malta and other Mediterranean ports, contributing to the island's economic growth during that period.
In the 19th century, Francesco Psaila (1824-1892) was a prominent Maltese architect known for his work on several landmark buildings in Valletta, including the Auberge de Castille and the Bibliotheca.
Guze Psaila (1873-1938) was a Maltese politician and lawyer who served as the President of the National Assembly of Malta in the early 20th century, advocating for greater self-governance for the Maltese islands.
Lastly, Carmelo Psaila (1907-1996) was a renowned Maltese writer and poet, known for his works that celebrated the Maltese language and culture. He was also a respected educator and advocate for the preservation of Maltese heritage.
While the PSAILA surname is most prevalent in Malta, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to Maltese emigration over the centuries. However, its roots can be traced back to the fishing communities along the Maltese coastlines, where the name originated as a reflection of the occupation of the early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Psaila
Among Census respondents with the surname Psaila, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Psaila bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Psaila surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Psaila
Psaila appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,437 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 597 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,437 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 597 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Psaila surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #151,532 | #150,935 | 0.4% |
| Count | 108 | 108 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Psaila bearers went from 108 to 108 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 597 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #150,935.
FAQ
Psaila surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Psaila?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Psaila. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Psaila?
Psaila ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Psaila. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Psaila.
Has Psaila become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Psaila went from 108 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Psaila?
Among Census respondents with the surname Psaila, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Black (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Psaila in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Psaila appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (6.5%), Black (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Psaila (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Psaila mean?
A Maltese surname derived from the Greek word "psali," meaning scissors or shears. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Psaila (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Psaila?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.